Political Quotes

“Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in support of H.R. 5536 and applaud Representatives Russell Fry and Jasmine Crockett for their bipartisan leadership on this bill. H.R. 5536 aims to increase transparency in the Federal grantmaking review and award process. It does so by strengthening agency compliance with title 2 of the Code of Federal Regulations, which describes the contents that notices of funding opportunities must include. It requires that each notice of funding opportunity for a competitive Federal grant to include specific information about how applications will be assessed, providing all applicants with greater access to the information they need to submit competitive applications. The Biden-Harris administration has taken important steps to strengthen transparency in and improve accessibility to the Federal grantmaking process. For example, in April 2024, the Office of Management and Budget announced significant updates to the Uniform Grants Guidance, which governs how agencies make grants and provide other forms of financial assistance. The updates focused on reducing compliance costs, removing barriers to entry and accessibility, and making Federal funds easier to track. H.R. 5536 is aligned with these goals, and I urge my colleagues to support it today. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.”